Country Trading Profiles Kuwait

Distributing a product

Market shares: The Sultan Center is the largest retailer in Kuwait. It is owned by the Sultan family.
Organizations in the retail sector: Industrial employees of Kuwait

International Conventions: Party to the Montreal protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer
Main International economic cooperation: Kuwait is a member of the Gulf Co-operation Council alongside Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The country is also part of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA), a pact of the Arab League entered into force in January 2005 which aims to form an Arabic free trade area.
Non tariff barriers: It is impossible to import products from Israel and alcohol.
Customs duties and taxes on imports: 5% « ad valorem » most products.
First need product and are not taxed.
Some products have a tax rate of 10% to 12% to protect the national industry.
There is a 100% tax rate on tobacco.
For further information, visit Kuwait Customs website.
Customs classification: Tariffs are based on the Harmonised International System (HIS) Code for classification of imports and exports.
For further information, visit Kuwait Customs website.
Import procedures: These documents are needed to import products to Kuwait :
-Certificate of origin
-An invoice
-A packing list
-A Bill of lading

For further information, visit Kuwait Customs website.
Importing samples: Samples are exempt from customs taxes as long as their packaging identifies their sender and their advertising purpose.
For further information: Kuwait customs office

Find out the local taxes that apply to your product.

Main useful means of transport: Roads are modern and well-maintained in Kuwait.
There is no rail transport in the country, which creates traffic problems around the big cities.
There are seven airports in the country however only one respects the standards of international business.
Kuwait has modern ports: Shuwaikh and Shuaiba are the most important. This is the best way to transport goods to the country.
Ports: Kuwait Port Information
Information on Ports and Free zones
Airports: The international airport of Koweit
Sea transport organizations: Kuwait port authority
Air transport organizations: Directorate of General Civil Aviation on the airport website
Road transport organizations: Ministry of Communications
Rail transport organizations

Get a ballpark figure for transportation costs for your product in this country through a shipping estimate.

Type of production: Oil (Petroleum and petrochemicals) is Kuwait's main production : oil accounts for 95% of all export revenues.
Business directories: Kuwait Business Patrol
Commercial Directory
Manufacturers associations of the main industries: Kuwait industry unions
Trade Agencies and their representations abroad: Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Enterprises federation: The Kuwaiti Industries union

National standards organizations: Standards and Regulations of the Public Authority for Industry, State of Kuwait.
Standarisation Organisation for the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Integration in the international standards network: All products must comply with the Kuwaiti standards (Kuwaiti Standard Specification, KSS). If there are no specific standards applicable in Kuwait, then the Gulf countries' standards must be applied (Gulf Standard Specifications, GSO). The countries that form the Gulf Cooperation Council have created an organization responsible for the standardization: The GCC Standardization Organization, of which Kuwait is a member. Its goal is to unify the standards of all the Gulf's countries in order to create a free-trade zone following the European Union's model. The Public Authority for Industry also represents Kuwait in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML).
Classification of standards: ISO, GSO or KSS followed by 5 digits, a hyphen, another digit, sometimes another hyphen and a digit.
Online consultation of standards: They are available for certain products on the site Industrial Public Authority or on the site Standardization Organization for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GSO).
Certification organizations: The Public Authority for Industry (PAI)

Find out the standards and labelling requirements that apply to your products.

National organizations: In Kuwait, patents and trademarks must be registered in the Trademark Control and Patents Office in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI). You can contact the Office by Email.
Regional organizations: None.
International membership: Member of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

Type of property	Law	Validity	International agreements signed
Patent	Law No. 4 concerning Patents, Designs and Industrial Models, May 15, 2005	15 years, renewable for a period limited to 5 years. 10 years for chemical discoveries, medications and pharmaceutical compositions.
Trademark	Law No. 3 of 2001	10 years, renewable one time.	Nice agreement concerning the International classification of goods and Services for the Purposes of the registration of Marks
Design	Law No. 4 concerning Patents, Designs and Industrial Models, May 15, 2005	5 years, renewable for two consecutive 5-year periods.
Copyright	Law No. 3 of 2001	50 years after the death of the author.
Industrial Models	Law No. 3 of 2001	10 to 15 years.